Device for sinking through soft strata, such as muck, sand, &amp;c.



A. B. DOWBLL.

DEVICE FOR SINKING THROUGH SOFT STRATA, SUCH AS MUOK, SAND, 6w.

APPLICATION FILED 1111.20, 1908.

Patented Feb. 16, 1909.

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A. B. DOWELL.

DEVICE FOR SINKING THROUGH SOFT STRATA, SUCH AS MUOK, SAND, 6w. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 20, 1908.

912,941. Patented Feb. 16, 1909.

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UNITED sTArEs PATENT onmon.

ALLEN BAGGS DOWELL, OF OARBONDALE, ILLINOIS.

DEVICE FOR SINKING THROUGH SOFT STRATA, SUCH AS MUCK, SAND, &c.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALLEN Bases DOWELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Carbondale, in the county of Jackson and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Devices for Sinking Through Soft Strata, such as Muck, Sand, &c., of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved device for sinking or excavating through soft strata consisting of muck, sand, quicksand or the like; and it has for its object to provide a simple and improved apparatus which shall prevent the dirt from caving into the newly made excavation, thus dispensing with the necessity of removing other dirt than that required to make the excavation, proper.

Another object of the invention is to provide a shoe or casing, equipped with doors or closures to regulate the passage of the material to be excavated, and also equipped with a shelf or bracket, termed a jackseat adapted to support a plurality of screwor pneumatic jacks or equivalent implements, whereby the apparatus may be forced in a downward direction in the process of making the excavation.

Still further objects of the invention are to simplify and improve the construction and operation of this class of devices.

With these and other ends in view which will readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the improved construction and novel arrangement and combination of parts which will be hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings has been illustrated a simple and preferred form of the invention; it being however understood that no limitation is necessarily made to the precise structural details therein exhibited, but that changes, alterations and modifications within the scope of the invention may be resorted to when desired.

In the drawingsFigure l is a top plan view of a device embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken on the plane indicated by the line 22 in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional detail view taken on the plane indicated by the line 3-3 in Fig. 1.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 20, 1908.

Patented Feb. 16, 1909.

Serial No. 411,851.

Corresponding parts in the several figures are denoted by like characters of reference.

The improved device consists essentially of a shoe or casing C which, in its general outline, may be square, rectangular, circular, or of any convenient or appropriate shape or outline, which will be governed mainly by the nature of the excavation that is to be made or the character of the work to be performed. The casing is preferably constructed of metallic plates, such as boilerplate, and bars and angle-beams, of suitable form.

In the accompanying drawings has been illustrated a rectangular casing the outer walls of which are designated 5; this casing is subdivided by longitudinally disposed beams or plates 6 and transverse beams or plates 7, into a plurality of cells or compartments 8, 8; the plates 6 and 7 intersecting each other at right angles, as shown. The partition plates 6 and 7 have been shown as being approximately one-half the height of the walls 5, although these proportions may be varied at will. The partition plates 6 and 7 are reinforced adjacent to their upper and lower edges by angle-beams 9 and 10, and similar angle-beams 10 are secured at the lower edges of the wall-plates 5; the angle-beams 10 at the lower ends of the compartments serve to support upwardlyopening pressure-doors or closures 11, which, when closed or folded, rest upon the said a ngle-beams and are thereby prevented from swinging in a downward direction. Each compartment is provided with two doors cooperating to form a complete closure, said doors being mounted by means of straphinges 12 upon the wall-plates and partition-plates of the casing; and the opposing doors in each cell or compartment are provided adjacent to their meeting edges with latch-levers 13 and U -shaped catches 14 whereby they may be manipulated, and retained in a closed or folded position, when desired. The corners of the casing are reinforced by vertically-disposed angle-beams 15; and the wall-plates 5 are braced and reinforced by exteriorly-disposed vertical ribs 16 arranged at suitable intervals. Upon the inner sides of the wall-plates 5 are mounted the longitudinally and transversely disposed shelves 17 and 17 which constitute the socalled jack-seats, and which consist of flanged-beams which are supported partly upon theupper'edges of the partition-plates- 6 and 7; partly upon metallic brackets 18' which are bolted or otherwise firmly-secured upon the wall-plates of the casing, said brackets being preferably reinforced adjacent to their upper edges by angle-beams 19.. Similzinbrackets 20 having;reinforcing.

angle-beams 21 are secured upon the wall plates adjacent to the upper sides of the jack-seats to secure the latter against upward displacement. The doors 11; when open, may be retained by means of pins or bolts" 22 inserted through suitable apertures in the 'angle bars't) or in-the jack-seats, ac-' cording. to thelocati'onof the doors.

Iii-the operation of this device it is con templated'to' force the casing downward by pressure derived' from jacks of suitable construction which are mounted at suitable intervals' upon the shelves constituting thej ack seats or'which are otherwise arranged insuch a mannerthat pressure will be exerted upon the seats. The doors at the lower ends of the cells or compartments are unla-tched', but will normally remain in a closed position by gravity. As the device is being forced ina downward direction, the material that is to' be excavated will be pressed agai-nst the-:under sides of the doors, partially lifting and opening said doors and permitting a-portion of'the material to enter intozthe cells'or comparti'nents from which it maybe-readil-y removed the intention being-to operate the jacks until the device is forced downward a distance of from four totwelve inches-according to the nature of the material operated upon, after which the operation' of 'the acks may be temporarily suspended while material is being removed from the cells or compartments. If "necessary, the doors of some of the compartments may be latched 1 and retained in a closed 1 position while the device is being sunkor forced downward, by the operation of the jacks; thus in the case of particularly difficult material, as whenqui-cksand, in the language o-f-the trade, is particularly wicked, it

maybe found necessary or desirable to closethe walls of the excavation may be protected in any suitable manner while the work is inprogress.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed is 1. A device of the class described comprising a casing having intersecting partitions forming a plurality of cells, angle-beams secured adjacent to the upper and lower edges of the partition-plates and adjacent to the lower edges of the wall-plates of the casing,

and pressure-doors supported upon=the angle beams at the lower ends ofthe cells, said doors being arranged in pairs toopen--up-- wardlyandprovided ad acent to themeet-ing edges with fastening means wherebytheymay be secured in closed relation.-- 7

2. A device ofthe class described comprising a casing having intersecting parti tions forming a plurality of cells, upwardlyopening doors adjacent to the lower ends of'the cells, and shelves secured interiorly" upon the walls of thecasing, adjacent to the upper edges of the partitions.

3. A device of the class described compris-- ing a casing having intersecting partitions forming a plurality of cells, upwardly-opening doors adjacent to the lower-ends of th'e cells, shelves constituting jack-seatssecured interiorly upon the walls of the casing adjacent to the upper edges of the partitions, and reinforcing brackets secured'upon the walls of the casing adjacent to the jackseats.

4. A device of the class described comprising a casing having partitions formlng plurality of cells, angle-beamsadj'acent to the upper and lower edges ofthe partitions and adjacent to the lower edges of the wallplates of the casing, angle-beams at the corners of the casing, vertical strengthening ribs disposed at intervals eXterio'r-ly'upon the walls of the casing, shelves constituting ack-seats secured interiorly upon the walls of the casing and supported in partupon the upper edgesof the partitions, reinforcing brackets for the jack seats secured upon the walls of the casing,"

upwardly opening doors adjacent to the lower ends of the cells and supported by the angle-beams at the lower edges of the partitions and wall-plates, said doors beingarranged in pairs and provided with fastening means adjacent to their meeting edges, and pins engaging apertures inth'e jack-seats and in angle-plates at the upper edges of the partitions to retain the door in: position, when open.

ALLEN BAGGS DOVVELH lVitnesses:

JOHN S. KENDALL, CHAS. E. HAMILTON. 

